The Wartburg Choir was one of only six college or university choirs selected to perform at the 2027 ACDA National Conference in Minneapolis, an honor last bestowed on the choir in 2017.
The choir will perform March 8 at 11:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. The ensemble’s program centers on the theme “Spirited Light” and was inspired by the writings of Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th-century composer and mystic who described experiencing a divine radiance she called “a reflection of the living Light.”
“Being selected to perform at the ACDA National Conference is one of the highest honors a choir can receive. This conference represents the very best of choral music in our country, and to be invited to perform is incredibly special,” said Lee Nelson, Wartburg Choir conductor and Patricia R. Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting. “I have told our students that this is the Super Bowl of the choral world. For a college the size of Wartburg to have its choir selected for the National ACDA Conference for the second time in 10 years is something truly extraordinary.”
The program explores the theme through the image of stained glass — sound refracted into different colors and perspectives. Selections will include “Gaude et laetare” by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, “Sanctus” from Frank Martin’s “Mass for Double Choir,” “Credo in Spiritum Sanctum” from “Missa Rigensis” by Uģis Prauliņš, “So Breaks the Sun” by Shavon Lloyd and “O! What a Beautiful City” by Shawn Kirchner, as well as a newly commissioned work by Elaine Hagenberg.
“The program spans centuries, musical styles and traditions with each piece offering a different reflection of spirited light,” Nelson said. “Much like sunlight passing through stained glass, the music reveals something different depending on where we stand and when we encounter it, a reminder that light can be experienced in countless ways yet ultimately comes from the same source.”
To be selected for this honor, Nelson submitted recordings of songs performed by the Wartburg Choir during the last three years. The recordings were then blindly screened by the country’s top choral adjudicators at the state, regional and national levels.
“What fills me with the greatest pride is knowing that this recognition belongs not only to the students who will take the stage in Minneapolis, but also to the Wartburg Choir members who came before them,” Nelson said. “It was the extraordinary work of those choirs — their talent, dedication, commitment and artistry — that earned this opportunity.”
The Wartburg Choir audition recording included “Sanctus” from the “Mass for Double Choir” sung by the 2025-26 Wartburg Choir, “An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts” by Healey Willan sung by the 2024-25 choir, and “¡Ayúdame! (Venezuelan Plea for Life)” by Carlos Cordero sung by the 2023-24 choir.
“The students in this year’s Wartburg Choir have the tremendous privilege and responsibility of representing all of those singers and the work they poured into this ensemble. There are certain moments in a conductor’s career that you never forget, and this is certainly one of them. I am tremendously proud of them and deeply honored to be their conductor,” Nelson said. “This recognition speaks volumes about our students, our music program and Wartburg’s longstanding commitment to excellence in choral music.”
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